Chapter 71: Turning the Enemy
"Although you're an assassin, you uphold the code of a warrior—never striking from behind." Mason looked into Storm Shadow's eyes. "Are you really going to let others slander you without fighting back?"
Storm Shadow's eyes reddened. He closed them and exhaled softly.
"When people no longer believe in you, what's the point of wasting words?"
Who would have thought that Storm Shadow, seemingly cold and ruthless, a killer without hesitation, was actually the most straightforward person? The principle he firmly believed in was that kind of unreserved and complete trust.
If they believed in him, they wouldn't question him. If they doubted him, there was no need for explanation.
This way of handling problems was just like his fighting style—decisive and direct, without any hesitation. Thinking about this, Mason was slightly startled. This was a warrior whose actions were completely integrated with his martial arts philosophy.
Unity of thought and action, perfectly natural!
If he possessed Mason's enhanced physical abilities, he would probably become the most terrifying martial artist in the world.
"I've grown numb to the pain and hatred, like a fish that doesn't know it's in water." Storm Shadow's eyes were desolate.
"My path has led to this. My enemies framed me for killing the Hard Master. I've searched for years but found no clues. My brothers also believe I did it. There's no point explaining myself to people who refuse to see the truth."
"The most ironic thing is that in the end, the only person who believed me was actually my target—a complete stranger." He removed his mask and looked up at Mason.
"Tell me, what's the point of someone like me trying to explain and find the truth?!" A strange sadness crept onto his cold face.
The terrifying thing isn't being in hell—it's being in hell while having once believed in heaven.
In that instant, Mason suddenly understood Storm Shadow's predicament and realized why such a skilled martial artist repeatedly failed against Snake Eyes.
He was like a rusted blade, his deadly swordsmanship clouded with doubt when facing Snake Eyes. He knew he hadn't killed the Hard Master, and he knew Snake Eyes had misunderstood him.
Therefore, in every duel, he couldn't fully commit and unleash a truly lethal strike!
Hesitation dulled his attacks, and in a duel between warriors of Snake Eyes' caliber, that slight difference could be fatal.
Conversely, Snake Eyes, convinced that Storm Shadow had killed their master, was determined to avenge him and attacked without mercy. The more ferocious Snake Eyes' attacks, the heavier Storm Shadow's heart became, the deeper his guilt, and the less likely he was to win.
It was a vicious cycle.
"I understand your pride, and you certainly don't need to explain yourself to anyone. But that doesn't mean you should let the person who truly framed you go unpunished." Mason, who had initially intended to manipulate Storm Shadow, found himself genuinely moved by the man's unwavering resolve.
"I've asked myself repeatedly—who hates me so much that they'd destroy my life?"
Mason shook his head. "Storm Shadow, have you ever considered that maybe you were looking at this all wrong from the beginning?"
"Who do you think would destroy your life? Your talented brother who trained alongside you? Or other students in the clan jealous of your skill?"
"The person who framed you might not hate you at all, nor want to ruin your life."
"He just needs you! He needs a weapon fueled by burning rage!"
"You should think about who benefits the most from framing you, and who became the most indispensable person after you left the Arashikage."
Storm Shadow froze, his eyes widening suddenly.
"It's him!"
"He took me in, trained me, devoted himself to me completely, making himself my only support, molding me into the person he wanted me to be!"
Storm Shadow wasn't stupid—he had simply been blinded by his own perspective and gone down the wrong path. Now, with Mason's insight, he had regained clarity and quickly pieced everything together.
"The person who framed me is cunning, ruthless, and most importantly—a master of deception!" Storm Shadow's eyes gleamed, and he spat out a name through gritted teeth.
"Zartan!"
Mason smiled. "Looks like you've found the real mastermind behind your framing."
Storm Shadow's expression shifted before finally settling into resolve. "I don't know who you really are, but you're definitely not that spoiled rich kid Daniel knows. But that doesn't matter."
"You helped me find the real culprit and gave me a second chance at life. Tell me—what do you need me to do for you?" Storm Shadow asked decisively.
Mason clenched his fist slightly, thinking to himself that this was going according to plan.
"If I asked you to help me extract someone from that base under the polar ice cap, could you do it?"
"Who are you? How do you even know about that place?!" Storm Shadow looked at Mason with deep wariness—the unknown was always the most terrifying.
He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "If you're asking me to kill someone for you, I'll do it even at the cost of my life. But extracting someone is too difficult, nearly impossible."
"It's not that I'm afraid of death—it's just that I can't die until I find Zartan and make him pay for what he's done."
Mason wasn't discouraged; this reaction was within his expectations. So he continued, "What if I let you bring me inside?"
Storm Shadow thought for a moment and shook his head again. "McCullen is extremely paranoid. Even I can't bring a stranger into the base!"
"What if I bring those four nanotech warheads?"
"You know where the warheads are?" Storm Shadow was taken aback at first, then nodded slowly. "Then there shouldn't be a problem."
"Alright, then it's settled. Once you have the warheads, you take me to that base."
Storm Shadow was a decisive person. He didn't ask any more questions, picked up his mask and twin swords from the ground, and turned to leave.
Suddenly, Mason felt a burning sensation in his hand. He checked his personal interface—the previous side mission had failed, marked with a bright red X. However, a new side mission had appeared below it:
Side Mission 2: Deliver the nanotech warheads to McCullen.
Mission Reward: 300 System Points.
This side mission offered a significantly higher reward than the previous one. Mason understood this was due to the increased difficulty.
If nothing unexpected had happened, Side Mission 1 would have simply required him to join G.I. Joe and follow the storyline to prevent the theft of the nanotech warheads.
But Mission 2 required him to seize the warheads stored at the G.I. Joe base and then deliver them to McCullen.
This mission had many challenges. Acquiring the warheads was only one aspect—the key was how to deliver them to McCullen effectively. Mason didn't want to face a coordinated attack from both McCullen's forces and G.I. Joe after obtaining the warheads.
Lost in thought, he continued walking quickly. Looking up, the DeCobray Estate was already in sight.
Thinking of the Baroness, a dangerous smile crept onto his lips.
[Chapter Rewards]
500 Power Stones unlock 1 chapter
10 Reviews unlock 1 chapter
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
30+ chapters ahead on P2treon DarkFoxx